“DON’T BE A FAG” - The construction of the image of transgressors bodies in advertisements and propaganda
Critical Discourse Analysis; Gender; Sexuality; Advertisement; Advertising; LGBTQIA+
"Don't be a faggot!" "Men don't cry!" "Be a man!" and "This is a woman's thing!" are discourses that individuals designated as men at birth, hear at least once in their lives. These discourses have the power to shape behavior, since they are heard since childhood and end up building a personality based on an ideal of masculinity. Starting from this discomfort, the present study aims to raise reflections on the construction of the image of transgressive bodies, especially LGBTQIA+ bodies in ads and advertisements. Thus, I analyze how the discursive practices, images, and stereotypes created in advertisements, including their representations and definitions of gender roles, are created to reinforce ideologies and discourses that maintain an unequal system when it comes to gender and sexuality. In view of this, I select two advertising samples, opposite in their approaches, when dealing with gender and sexuality. For the analytical process, I connect to Critical Discourse Analysis (FAIRCLOUGH, 2001) mobilizing some key concepts of the theory: discourse, power and ideology. Also, as a theoretical support for the reflections, I bring up social studies, queer theory, and gender studies. During the analyses, I go through the concepts of narrativization, fallacies, delegitimization, and naturalization, processes that strengthen an ideology of a small dominant social group. Finally, through this research it is possible to conclude that the media and the advertising genre have a great responsibility in making use of discourses to communicate with society. Thus, it is possible to conclude that through gender molds there is a toxicity that is linked to the male identity. This, in turn, can be toxic to those who validate it, reinforcing it in other individuals, and toxic when applied to oneself.